Hello Fall–Current Favorites & Obsessions

It finally feels like Fall is arriving here in Southern Texas. Well, as Fall as it can be here. Two weeks below 90 degrees and I’m running around happy. When Fall comes it’s always time to change up your skincare routine–add some heavier more hydrating products into rotation. Fall is also the time for holiday collections to start coming out and a lot of people switch to heavier foundations, deeper scents and darker makeup.

I do start wearing my heavier foundations as my makeup doesn’t melt off in the high heat and humidity outside of summertime. However, I usually don’t start wearing fall or winter makeup shades just for the sake of it. I don’t wear a lot of berries or deeper more typical fall shades. I just am not into them no matter the season. So I go along in my usual nude but better routine all year. Same goes for spring and summer makeup. I don’t switch based on the season anymore. I used to, but I just wear what I like all year round. I’ve found what works for me and just stick to it. Though I am always on the look out for more complex neutrals and better formulas.

I do wear some of my more fall and heavier scents outside of summer. My favorite two seasons of fragrance are summer and fall. Read some of my past seasonal fragrance posts HERE. With the switch to fall I’ve been reaching for heavier scents. I recently grabbed two new Ormonde Jayne scents: White Gold and Ambre Royal. White Gold while the lightest of the gold trilogy is perfectly appropriate for fall. Or any other time. A complex oriental floral with citrus, floral and green notes. This also has a well rounded warmth and depth. It has hints of woods, musk, spice and lots of warmth without being a sweet or powdery floral. See my recent review HERE. Top notes: Leaf green molecule, pink pepper, mandarin, bergamot and clary sage. Heart notes: Jasmin absolute, carnation absolute, orris butter, orchids and freesia. Base notes: Madagascan vanilla, ambrette absolute cashmeran, white musk, amber, moss, tonka, labdanum, opoponax, vetiver, cedar wood.

Ormonde Jayne is one of my all time favorite niche perfumeries. They’re so complex and out of the ordinary. Really unique scents with excellent silage and longevity. A little pricey and hard to find. However they are worth the hunt. Ambre Royal is new to the family and actually now available in the states at Lucky Scent. Lucky Scent doesn’t carry the special editions like White Gold but they now carry the basic line. Ambre Royal is a warm amber that’s not typical. Considered a resinous floral oriental which is about right. Resins have this unique scent to them that really make a warm scent unique and stand out from the crowd. I’ve been reaching for it quite a bit since I grabbed it. I love that this one isn’t too sweet like some amber scents. Notes–Green notes, orange absolute, bergamot, jasmine, orchid, osmanthus, rose, amber, orris, cedar, ambroxan, tonka, patchouli, musk. More to come on this one.

A recent new skincare brand discovery for me is de Mamiel. I grabbed two items from the natural brand: Pure Calm Cleansing Dew & Exhale Daily Hydrating Nectar. The Pure Calm Cleansing Dew is amazing. Using a cleansing oil is a sensory experience and I like it better than using a cleansing balm. This cleansing oil contains: raspberry seed oil, rice brand oil, blackcurrant seed oil, prickly pear seed oil and the de Mamiel proprietary blend (Comfrey, Yarrow, Carrot, Calendula, Marshmallow Root, Arnica, Astralgalus, Nettle, Elderflower, Liquorice, Gotu Kola, Baical Skullcap, Red Clover and Horsetail). That’s just to name a few of the ingredients. This is designed to remove makeup and daily accumulated pollutants, soother and regenerate, scavenge free radicals all while giving you a moment of calm while to inhale the intoxicating scent. This is one of the best cleansing oils I’ve ever used. Exhale Daily Hydrating Nectar has quickly become a weekend staple for me. This all in one product combines your moisturizer with SPF and a nude tint that on the weekend can suffice for a tinted moisturizer. Depends how much coverage you like and if you’re going out anywhere. This uses raspberry seed oil, blackcurrant seed oil, avocado extract, sodium hyaluronate and the same proprietary ingredients listed above. That’s just to name a few of the ingredients, it has quite a long list of plant extracts and natural ingredients. One pump of this is enough to give my skin a lotion like hydration while getting natural SPF from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (no white cast). More to come on both.

Switching some of my skincare to heavier routines means adding in facial oils at night and creams in the day. Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream isn’t new to me as I grabbed it this spring. I had to leave it in the closet and avoid it during the hot an humid summer. I’m excited to pull it out again as it’s such an amazing moisturizer. No wonder it’s one of their best selling items. It looks and even the texture makes it seem like it would be heavy, but it’s light enough for day and sinks in to leave a satin finish without being heavy or greasy. It has the amazing Kat Burki smell. More to come. ALKIMI CINCO Facial Oil is something I came across on Instagram. Created by @roadtoglow this oil peaked my interest with it’s ingredient list. Red raspberry seed oil, cranberry seed oil, watermelon seed oil, black cumin seed oil, blueberry seed oil, rosehip seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, tamanu oil and vitamin E. Rich in Omega 3 & 6 this oil helps restore the skins moisture barrier while providing soothing & regenerating nutrients and antioxidants. More to come. Kat Burki Power Trio Radiance Oil has been on my wish list for a while. Scented like all Kat Burki items (cucumber dream is the best way I can describe it), this facial oil has the KB5 Complex (Arnica, Gotu Kola, Lavender, Calendula, Chamomile), aloe leaf juice, glycerin, cucumber hydrosols, cocoa butter, vitamin B5 as well as a host of other oils. It’s got an addictive scent, it hydrating enough without being heavy. It’s been in heavy rotation. More to come.

OSKIA Citylife I-Zone Balm is part of their new Citylife Collection designed to help combat environmental stress. I love OSKIA skincare. It’s always well done. This balm is multi-use for eyes and lips. I have been using it the most on my eyes. It’s got a light oil balm texture. This melts on contact from the heat of your finger tips making it easy to pat around the orbital bone for an extra boost of long lasting moisture. It’s a very light oil balm and not greasy at all. I love using this at night. It also has a slightly iridescent pink finish to it. More to come.

An old favorite of mine is Charlotte Tilbury’s KISSING Lipstick in Confession. I pull it out more in the fall and winter. This was part of the Holiday 2014 collection. The hydrating cream lipstick coats lips with a pigmented deeper tawny pink. I wish it was permanent as it’s such a perfect deeper nude. Original review & swatches HERE. The new Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand has a stunning shimmering rose champagne liquid highlighter in a unique applicator. Review & swatches HERE. This has been on heavy rotation.

SUQQU just released their Christmas 2017 collection and the Pure Color Blush in 105 Tankouka is a stunning shimmery dusty pink rose. This quickly has become a favorite and has been used quite a bit in the short time I’ve had it. Review & swatches HERE. The natural shimmering rose is neither too overpowering in shimmer and the tone is just a touch deeper than a typical nude pink which makes it perfect for fall. The silky power glides on effortlessly and blends in seamlessly. SUQQU’s Pure Color Blush is one of my favorite powder blush formulas of all time.

SUQQU also just launched four new loose powders. As a fan of the Nuancing Loose Powder I grabbed two. The SUQQU Soft Velvet Loose Powder addresses unevenness, pores and fine wrinkles with its soft focus effect powders. Featuring “Soft Wax Powder”, it blends and fits well to the skin, helping the beautiful velvety finish to last long while keeping excess sebum under control. It contains pigments coated with amino acid derivative that have a high affinity with the skin’s natural moisturising factors. The soft pink tint brightens the face while the soft wax blurs pores and imperfections. Brilliant. More to come.

Tom Ford Lips & Girls was finally the Tom Ford lipstick collection for me. The Boys never did it for me. The shimmery shades in the Girls range is amazing if you love a sheerer lipstick with shimmer or nudes. The cute mini size is easy to carry anywhere. Katherine is my perfect creamy pink nude while Edita is this amazing shimmering sheer shimmery sheer peachy gold beige with pink shimmer. Review & swatches HERE. All the Girls I bought have been on heavy rotation as well. I even bought back ups which I never do anymore.

Top to Bottom–SUQQU 105 Tankouka, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, Tom Ford Katherine, Tom Ford Edita, Charlotte Tilbury Confession, de Mamiel Exhale Daily Hydrating Nectar, OSKIA Citylife I-Zone Balm: